Netiquette: Rules of Professional Conduct Online

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NetiquetteRules of Professional Conduct Online

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• Writing Resources

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The elements of Netiquette

• Format
• Length
• Attachments
• Emotional Outbursts
• Mailing Lists

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General Format The Basics

• Write a greeting (Dear ) for each new subject
  email.
• Keep the email brief (one screen length).
• Return emails within the same time you would a
  phone call - same day if possible.
• Check for punctuation, spelling, and grammatical
  errorsALWAYS!

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General Format The Basics

• Use caps only when appropriate.
• Format your email for plain text rather than
  HTML.
• Use a font that has a professional or neutral
  look (Arial).

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General Format Lists Bullets

• When you want to emphasize important points,
  number your directions or bullet your main points
  (using hyphens - or stars ).

• For example,
• Place the paper in drawer A.
• Click the green start button.
• Another example,
• -Improve customer satisfaction.
• -Empower employees.

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General Format Addresses

• Avoid sending emails to more than 3-4 addresses
  at once.
• Instead, create a mailing list so that readers do
  not have to scroll too much before getting to the
  actual message.
• To maillist9_at_csi.org

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Attachments

• When you are sending an attachment, tell your
  respondent what the name of the file is, what
  program it is saved in, and the version of the
  program.
• This file is in Microsoft Word 2007 under the
  name Work File.

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Tips for Mailing Lists

• Avoid discussing private concerns and issues.
• It is okay to address someone directly on the
  list. Ex, Sherry regarding your question
• Change the subject heading to match the content
  of your message.
• When conflict arises on the list, speak in person
  with the one with whom you are in conflict.

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When your message is long

• Provide a table of contents on the first screen
  of your email.
• If you require a response from the reader, then
  be sure to request that response in the first
  paragraph of your email.
• Create headings for each major section.

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Table of Contents

• Table of contents
• This email contains
• A. Budget projections for the last quarter
• B. Actual performance for the last quarter
• C. Adjustment proposal
• D. Projected profitability

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Delivering Information About Meetings,
Orientations, Processes

• Include table of contents with headings.
• Provide as much information as possible.
• Offer the reader an opportunity to receive the
  information via mail if the email is too
  confusing.

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Do not take your reader by surprise!

• Do not wait until the end of the day to introduce
  a problem or concern via memo or email.
• Avoid writing a list of concerns that you have
  been harboring for a long period of time.

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Emotional Outbursts

• Dont use email as a way to vent or send highly
  emotional messages.

• What you say cannot be taken back it is in black
  and white.
• Avoid emotional outbursts in emails because they
  tend to create a conflict that can sometimes
  spiral out of control.

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Keep emotional outbursts under control

• Before you send an email message, ask yourself,
  would I say this to this persons face?
• Calm down before responding to a message that
  offends you. Once you send the message it is
  gone. Count to 10!

• Read your message twice before you send it, and
  assume that you may be misinterpreted when
  proofreading.
• Get a second opinion before sending it.

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Responding to an enraged email

• Empathize with the senders frustration and tell
  him/her he/she is right-- if that is true
• If you feel you are right, thank him/her for
  bringing the matter to your attention
• Explain what led to the problem in question

• Avoid getting bogged down by details and petty
  disputes
• If you are aware that the situation is in the
  process of being resolved, let the reader know at
  the top of the response
• Apologize if necessary

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When Email Wont Work

• There are times when you need to take your
  discussion out of the virtual world and make a
  phone call.
• If things become very heated, a lot of
  misunderstanding occurs, or when you are
  delivering very delicate news, then the best way
  is still face-to face.